1. Field of the Invention
Several fields are touched by my invention of a method to create full color images on soft foam plastic surfaces. The field of children's dolls is considered the principal one, in that the faces of living persons can be faithfully reproduced on the doll. The method can also be used to create busts, including busts with moveable parts, suitable for children's playthings or to replace photographs wherever adults display photographs, thus it has application to the field of sculpture and photography. Being soft, the product of this method is suitable for use in the field of ornaments attached to the rear-view mirror or windows of automobiles.
2. Description of Prior Art
As early as 1906 DeVall et al (U.S. Pat. No. 833,448) recognized that doll faces resembling living persons would have appeal. DeVall applied sensitized photographic film to the face area of a doll and, placing the doll in a camera, somehow obtained a positive print of the subject's face on the doll. Benner (U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,586) and Greenberg (U.S. Pat. No.2,199,049) placed a flat photograph on a doll's face. Blair (U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,188) first sculpted the facial contours, then stretched a flat photograph with backing removed, over the contoured face area of a doll. Later Blair (U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,319) placed a flat photograph, the image being on fabric, vinyl sheet, or paper on a thick hollow shell of clay-like material, and molded the face by inserting one hand into the hollow interior while pressing on the photograph. This method gave direct guidance to the sculptor/modeler to expedite formation of the clay, which was later baked to harden. An alternate method described by Blair to make a soft head doll was by stuffing behind the photograph or stitching through it.